Missional Churches

by Steve Scudder
Director of Missions
 In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said the gates of hell would not be able to withstand the Church that He would build. Imagine that…we could storm the gates of hell and obliterate them through the loving power of Jesus Christ! Yet, the church seems far too timid to even storm the automatic doors of the local supermarket let alone Satan’s stronghold.

It is not that our churches don’t believe we need to make an impact in the world for Christ. Southern Baptist churches are among the most mission-minded congregations that exist. We raise money and goods to send in mission causes and pray diligently for those who are called to be professional missionaries. We voice concern over the way of the world, forward countless emails berating evil doers and sinners.  We argue adamantly about the need to vote the right “Christian-oriented” candidate into office.

But somehow, our mission minds go blank when we are faced with the task of befriending someone outside the faith and sharing a word of hope and witness.

I want to introduce you to a book by Milfred Minatrea called Shaped by God’s Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches. Minatrea rightly argues that while many individual Christians relate with coworkers and neighbors who live outside a Christian community (i.e., they don’t attend church), as a whole, the church has lost touch with the community. Our culture has changed so rapidly and dramatically that most churches no longer storm the gates of hell. Rather, they simply try to survive the onslaught of secularism that threatens their very existence.

If the Church, the people of God, are to be effective in carrying out the Great Comission (Matt. 28:19-20) and living the Great Commandment (Mark 12:29-31), it will have to move from being mission-minded to becoming missional.

Missional church may be a new phrase to many. The term began being used in the early 1990s and truly reflects a change in the way a church approaches the Mission given to us by Christ. Minatrea describes missional churches as “reproducing communities of authentic disciples, being equipped as missionaries by God, to live and proclaim His Kingdom in their world” (p. 8). Missional churches believe that every Christian is a missionary and maintains that every believer will live a missional lifestyle, actively seeking to share resources and faith to their neighbors, community and world.

So what is the difference between a mission-minded church and a missional church? A mission-minded church views its role in missions as sending and supporting people who have been “called” into mission service (professional missionaries). Their idea of missions is representative, that is, they pray and give so missionaries who represent the church can go and serve. Missions then is one of many ministries of the church, like Sunday school or music.

Although missional churches pray and give so other may go, missions for them is more centered in being a missionary and doing missions than sending and supporting. The missional church practices supporting some in going to other locations, yet it believes that every member of the church is a missionary. Missions is participative rather than representative. Therefore missions is not one expression or program of the church. Rather it is the essence of the church.

I believe our churches must become missional. They must recapture the vision of Christ’s mission and move among the people of the world, not to invite them to church, but to invite them to become the Church. Therefore, I will lead a study of Minatrea’s book for five pastors or layleaders and coach them in practicing a missional lifestyle. When finished, I am asking each of them to lead a study and coach five people within their congregation on becoming missional. If you are interested in being one of those five, call or email me.

In the next issue of Kingdom Initiatives, I will share Minatrea’s thought of the four dimensions of missional churches and the eight passion actions practiced in those dimensions.

I am tired of playing church. Let’s storm a few gates together and see how good the real life in Christ can be!